Vacuum cleaner



L. C. PACKER VACUUM CLEANER July 27, 1937.

Filed Jan. 3, 1935 F/Lg. 3.

II NVENTOR., Lew/'5 C. Fae/ er ATTQ EY Patented July 27, 1937 'vAcUUM'cLEANEn Lewis 0. Packer, 'Longmeadow, Mass., assignor to Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing com: Pa-uy,- East Pittsburgh, Pa e corporation of 1 Pennsylvania m mm 3. 1935, se i Noi 2 3 3 Claims. (Cl. z4

My invention relates to vacuum cleaners and particularly to illuminating devices mounted thereon. t a

Anobiect of my. invention is to provide a 5 relatively simple, and compact assembly of a,

vacuum cleaner and a lamps mounted thereon.

Another object of my invention is to provide a relatively simple and easily and quickly assembled and disassembled lamp-supportingstructure mounted on a vacuum cleaner in-such position as to be protected thereby. a. p f

Other objects of my'invention will either be apparent from the following description of a 16 preferred form of device embodying myinvenpair of incandescent tion or will be specifically pointed out during the course of such description. 1 p

In practicing my invention, I provide, in combination with-a vacuum cleaner assembly em- 20 bodying a fan casing and a nozzle casing operatively associated with and extending angularly relatively to each other, with a pair of tubular lamp-supporting casings located in the corners formed by the associated fan and nozzle casings. In each such tubular auxiliary casing I locate an incandescent lamp-supporting structure, a 18-7 flector, a lens and a means for holding the lens in front of the lamp. V In the single sheet of drawings, p Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of a vacuum cleaner embodying my invention, a 3 Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation thereof wit a portion shown in'section, which sectionison the line H-II ofFig. 1, and Figs. 3 to 7, inclusive, areviewsin side elevation and in section respectively of partsuoi the lamp structure.

Referringfirst to Figs l and 2, the draw-- ing, I have-there illustrated a vacuum cleaner ll which includes a nozzle casing l3 which may be integral, with a blower orfan casing, li and which is operatively. secured in any suitable or desired manner against the front end of a motor housing I! having located therein a motor for driving or operating a fan in order to create a suction in the nozzle casing l3 and more particularly in the mouth i9 thereof.

I have elected to show the outlines only of the motor housing and of the nozzle and fan casing, since the parts more particularly embodying my invention are operatively associated with the nozzle casing and may be applied to more or less standard vacuum cleaner assemblies. A rotary brush 2| is located in the mouth I8 01' the 65 nozzle casing lland may be driven by any suitable or, desired means well known in the artsuch as by the fan motor. Front supporting wheels, 23 are provided, as well as one or morer'ear supi porting wheels 25,.-all in a manner well known in the art. A handle is operatively associated 5 with and pivotally mounted on thefmotor'hous-t lug; ll; and isindicated-by a fork 21 in Fig. .2 ,oi the drawing, a latch plate 29 cooperating with the handle tohold it in substantially verticalposition when desired. The motor may be energized 10 through a twin conductor cord indicated generally at 3|, whichends in a connectingfplu'g 33 adapted. to interflt with a connecting. socket mountedin and protected by a small auxiliary casing 35, allin a manner now well known inthe 15 art. Awrubberbumper 31 may be located around the nozzle casing l3 and a bumperplate 33 may be located centrally of-the nozzle casing.

Referring now to {the. parts more particularly embodying my invention, a pair of tubular aux- 20 I iliary'casings 4 I areprovided which, in the structurershownv in the drawi are-made integral with the nozzlecasing i3v at the rear portion thereof and extend rear-wardly of a 5 lateral wall l3 ofthe nozzlecasing I3. Y a 25 I wish to point out more particularly that I locatelthe auxiliary casings li inthe corners formed bythelaterally extending nozzle casing I3; and the downwardly extending fanlcasing I! .where the incandescent lamp structureto be so" hereinafter described will be protected against accidental engagement with furniture of all kinds when the. vacuum-cleaner is inactual use. Thus,- it will be noted that as-far as lateral-.protection thereof is concerned,the auxiliary casings. are 35 located well within the lateral sideportionspf;

. the nozzlecasing, as will be-seen moreparticu-g larly by referenceto Fig. ,1 of. the drawing. -It is also evident that theyare protected bythe upper.

portion 01'. thefan casing. l5. :Referring to. Fig. "40

2 of -the drawing, it will .be, noted that the easings] l arekloc'atedwell backoi', theforwardly ex? tendingnportionoi nozzle 081811181 and. more a particularly of the bumper 39, so that if the forwardly extending portion or portions of the noz- 45 1 zle casing should be accidentally brought into engagement with a piece of. furniture, the bumper 39 will take the shock to thereby protect the incandescent lamp assemblies located in auxiliary housings or casings 4|. f

Each of the auxiliary. casings-4| is provided with an inner annularshoulder 45 and an outer or forward annular shoulder 11. A lamp supportingstructure of the kind shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing may include a lamp' socket 49 be moved therethrough and is also provided with.

is adapted to adapted to receive and support an incandescent lamp 5| and preferably provided with an annular flange 53, which flange has a pair of openings extending therethrough' to receive small clamping screws 55 which extend therethrough and into the wall of the shoulder 45, as will be seen more particularly by.

of the drawing.

A dished reflector 51 has an openingtherein large enough so that the bulb of lamp 5| may an outer annular flange 59 which be located against the front face of the wall of 2 of the drawing. A split spring ring 5|, which constitutes a spacing ring, is located immediately in front of the dished reflector 51 and is provided with a plurality of radially-inwardly extending lugs 53 which engage the inner flat surface of a lens 55. A tubular lens supporting and securing member 61 is provided, whose forward edge portions are rolled or return bent in- Wardly as is shown more particularly in'Fig. '7 of the drawing, so that the front arcuate surface of the lens 65 may-engage the inwardlyrolled portion 69, as may be seen by reference to Fig. 2 of the drawing. The tubular support 51 is provided with a plurality, preferably three,-indentations 1| against which the rear edge of spring ring 6| may rest, as is also shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing,to thereby hold the:lens' 65 in the position shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing.

Means for holding the tubular member 51 in its proper operative position in close engagement with the front surface of flange 59 includes a spring latch 13, of'substantially L-shape, whose rear end portion is'clamped'against the front surface of flange 53 by one of the securing screws 55. The forward end of spring latch 13 is provided with an indented portion 15 which is adapted to-fltinto one of the indentations 1| in ring 61, to there'by'hold member 6'|,*lens 65.and spring ring 6| in close operative engagement against the front face of flange 59 of reflector 51 and to thereby hold the latter also in its proper operative position.

I prefer'to use lamp bulbs 5| adapted to operate at lower than standard line voltages, and I may use 6 volt bulbs -and connect the two bulbs in series-circuitrelation relatively to each other by means of the conductors l'l shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing, and by' other conductors not'shown. A copending application Serial. No. 1,131, filed January 11, 1935 byR. H. Jordan, and assigned to the same assignee as is the present application, discloses a means for energizing the two incandescent lamps and reference may be had to that application for the details of. the

source of supply of electric energy for energizing the lamp bulbs 5|. HowevenI desire it to be understood that I do not wish to-be limited to such source. of electric energy for the i1- luminating means, since it is possible to me nor,

- mal voltage incandescent lamps and to make the reference to Fig. 2

proper arrangements for energizing them from the same circuit as is the motor located in motor housing II, that is, through the twin conductor cord 3| and the connecting plug 33.

The device embodying my invention thus provides relatively simple means for supporting double illuminating means on a vacuum cleaner in such mannerthat they shall be well protected thereby against :"accidental shock vand bump during actual use of the vacuum cleaner.

Various modifications may be made in the de' vi ce emb odying my invention without departing "f-romihe spirit and scope thereof, and I desire, shoulder 41, as will be noted by reference to Fig.

1. In a vacuum cleaner including a motor housing and'a nozzle casing secured together, an auxiliary open-front tubular casing on the cleaner having an annular shoulder therein, a lampsupportingassembly in the auxiliary casing secured against the annular shoulder and including a ,forwardlyextending spring latch, a'dished reflector around and back of the lamp, a lens in front of the lamp and'a tubular securing means for the lens held in its proper operative position by the spring latch. H v

2. In combination with a vacuum cleaner includinga nozzle'casing, an auxiliary open-front tubular casing on the nozzle casing having an inner and an outer annular shoulder in the tubular casing, a lamp-supporting structure in the auxiliary casing and having an annular flange secured-against the inner shoulder, said lampsupporting structure including a forwardly extending spring latch secured against the annular flange, a reflector having an outer flange located against the outer annular shoulder of the tubular casing, a lens in front of the lamp, a tubular support for the lens having its rear edge abutting against the outer flange of the reflector I to hold it in place andhaving also a portion inportion abuttingagainst the outer shoulder in' the tubular casing, aims in front of 'theiamp supporting structure, a tubular support for 'the lens having its rear edge located against .the'

outer peripheral portion of the dished reflector and a spring latch having its rear end secured against the annular flange of the lamp-supporting structure and having its forward end interfltting with the tubular-lens support to hold it in its proper operative position. I

LEWIS C. PACKER. 

